Last Friday, the British tabloids were all in a tizzy because Pippa Middleton and her boyfriend of a year and a half, Alex Loudon, seemed to have finally called it quits. Allegedly, they broke up over the summer, but reunited and tried to work through their problems. Initially, the reports made it sound like Pippa was the one to pull the plug, and I assumed that she had as well, likely to “uptradey” her way into being a duchess too. But! The Mail on Sunday reported yesterday that their sources claimed it was Alex Loudon who dumped Pippa, on the advice of his snooty family. Apparently, Loudon comes from old money and a very distinguished family, and they don’t want Alex marrying some upstart chick who is famous for her arse. The full report is here, and here are some highlights:

The Mail on Sunday has learned it was in fact Alex who, after one-and-a-half years together, decided to end things. According to a friend of both Alex and Pippa, the 31-year-old former England cricketer could no longer cope with the ‘circus’ that accompanies his girlfriend everywhere she goes.

The friend said: ‘The plain truth is Alex adored Pippa but he couldn’t stand the circus that now surrounds her. Nothing is straightforward anymore.’

Inordinately private, with impeccable manners, the Old Etonian simply hated the attention . . . attention that Pippa appears to rather enjoy. Another family friend said: ‘Pippa sees the connection with the Royal Family as a golden opportunity but she knows she cannot afford to look vulgar. She now gets invited to every show in town, every door is open to her but Alex hates parties. He loves his cricket and has a very close-knit circle of Old Etonian friends. Alex comes from a very well-to-do and discreet family who do not relish the spotlight. He hated the fact they were followed by paparazzi and he avoided going out because of it. Alex is very strait-laced. He loves his family and his friends and has no time for celebrity.’

Last night a member of Pippa’s circle said her friends were not surprised the courtship had come to an end. The friend said: ‘Alex’s parents were welcoming but they were always somewhat lukewarm about the relationship. They didn’t see Pippa as ‘wife material’. James [Loudon, Alex’s father] and his wife Jane both come from very good families. Pippa is very sweet but she is socially ambitious – all her friends are so “trophy posh” it’s ridiculous. They didn’t honestly see Alex and Pippa’s relationship as a long-term thing. James and Jane are very old-fashioned and prefer to keep things low-key. They do not go out of their way to court attention for themselves and they tend to shy away from the media – even when James was High Sheriff he took on the roles and responsibilities but didn’t attempt to promote himself. They’re a very “proper” family.’

In contrast to the newly wealthy Middletons, the Loudons are ‘old money’ and pride themselves on remaining consistently discreet. So tensions were inevitable from the moment Pippa’s pert posterior catapulted her on to the world stage. When she and Alex first met through mutual friends, they were still enjoying the freedom of their post university years – Alex studied at Durham, Pippa in Edinburgh. Now their lives are very different. Alex is carving out a serious career, working at the brewing giant SAB Miller as a corporate finance and development analyst. Pippa, meanwhile, flits between her job as a party planner at caterers Table Talk and working on the newsletter for her parents’ company, Party Pieces.

The couple’s mutual friend said: ‘Alex couldn’t cope with the star that Pippa had become. It’s sad really because Alex and Pippa get along very well, but they are also very different personalities. It has been up and down for a while. It was Alex who called the parting shot and said it was over once and for all last week.’

Pippa is apparently devastated. Only two months ago the couple were celebrating her 28th birthday and one of Alex’s presents to her was a set of keys to his Fulham home. Although the couple didn’t live together, Pippa was staying with Alex at least three nights a week.

The friend said: ‘This has come as a big shock for Pippa. She was over the moon when he gave her a set of keys to his place and she was talking about moving in together. She was in this for the long term. They have had a few problems but she was not expecting them to break up and she is heartbroken. Kate has been comforting her but she is also upset because she liked Alex. All the Middletons did, they adored him.’

A friend said: ‘Alex never wants to be the centre of attention. When they got together, Pippa was a nice girl whose sister was going out with Prince William. That wouldn’t phase him, William was his friend at school. Alex was always the one in control. Now he’s seen as little more than Pippa’s appendage and really, what man could cope with that?’

While Alex is said to be looking forward to life away from the ‘circus’, Palace officials are said to be worried about Pippa’s public persona.

One insider said: ‘There is quiet concern within the Royal household that Pippa has no real job. The photographs of Pippa on the dance floor were something that Palace officials would rather avoid. There has been some suggestion that Kate might utilize Pippa in a lady-in-waiting role, or at least a more up-to-date version of it. It would make sense with William going to the Falklands.’

Last week Pippa was being comforted by her family but according to one friend it won’t be long before she picks herself up.

The friend said: ‘When Kate and William separated in 2007, Kate employed the age-old tactic of showing her man what he was missing. She put on a big smile, said yes to every invitation and the hemlines on her skirts raised a good few inches. Pippa will do the same. She is utterly determined, whether it is a marathon, a game of tennis or bagging the best titled boy at a party. She is tough and focused. In a week or two she will be sparkling at some high-end event, flashbulbs a go go, because that is what the Middleton girls are expected to do. The Middleton mantra is grin and bear it. There’s no puffy eyes or hiding behind closed doors, at least not for too long.’

Whether the strategy will work for Pippa in the same way it worked for Kate, however, remains to be seen.

“There is quiet concern within the Royal household that Pippa has no real job” – WTF? Not that I’m some huge Pippa fan, but she works more than Kate has ever done. She has an office job with her ex-boyfriend and she truly works for her parents (writing their company’s newsletter), and she’s setting up her own party planning business. Pippa knows how to hustle, and yes, maybe she doesn’t really have a “career” but she knows how to work. Unlike her sister, who seems to balk when forced to do anything more strenuous than flip her hair.

Now, as for Pippa’s uptradey act and how she’s determined to marry well – sure, that’s true. That was known about her BEFORE the wedding – she would basically “date” anyone with a title or a large bank account, the older the money, the better. I’m kind of rooting for Pippa, I have to admit. I want her to make a smart marriage with someone dashing and wealthy. She should go for someone a bit older, I think.

Hmm, this kind of thing happens all the time, at all levels of wealth. There is some sense to it, aside from the snoot factor- it makes sense to protect assets and make choices that will add to them rather than potentially take away. Hmm. I see it happening in my own family but I also see how it really paid off– no pun intended. So I just wish her happiness and success and that the decision was made intelligently, even though it is painful and difficult.

She dresses soo badly. I don’t mean as a celeb or sister of the queen or whatever…even for a regular girl on the street (which, let’s face it, is exactly what she is), she has terrible style. With such a great figure she should have no trouble looking pulled together, but she never gets it quite right.

@ Kaiser , i love your site , but could you please try to get the facts straight; She has never dated George and neither is she working for him.She works for her parents and apparantly for a pr/partyplanning agency.Alex dumped her because he didn’t liked the circus around her , not because her money isn’t old enough.The press just likes to stirr things .

she have good parent and she good girl i like her verymuch i believe she will have good man and have happy family same her papa mama for sure she smart woman why should she care about that man she have everything

@ Kiki
I think golddigger means you’re just after the money no matter how tacky the individual might be. Socially ambitious seems to mean you want the trappings of wealth (right neighbhourhood, right “friends”, right schools for the little ones). Money’s there but the symbols of weatlh have to be too. Golddiggers are less concerned with that stuff, more focused on the cash.

I believe it. The English are very snobby and Pippa is the definition of tacky. I remember reading that the Windsors themselves are considered socially ‘inferior’ by aristocrats because of their ties and Diana was to an extent ‘marrying down’.
YUP that’s right snobs in the UK find the Queen and her family to be rubes so why wouldn’t that set of nobles who can trace their families back several hundred years sneer at Pippa who’s grandparents worked in coal mines?

Nobody ever made a big deal out of Diana’s sisters probably because the internet was not around, and so they were not in everyone’s face all the time. I think (though I have not fact-checked) they were also married when Diana happened, so there was none of the romantic intrigue that Pips has cultivated. They also didn’t wear body-hugging dresses and wiggle behind their more famous sister on the most important day of her life. They were also titled already and had no need to uptradey, plus they had more decorum overall when dealing with the public (Diana’s brother is a different story).

Pip will never marry as well as her sister and is thus in a bit of a bind. If she marries above her station, she will be called uptradey, a social climber. If she doesn’t marry well (not bloody likely!) she will be ridiculed for not being able to bag a better husband. She is nouveau riche and a celebrity, so the titled folks may not want to deal with her (Loudens), and her fame may intimidate lesser mortals or attract men who want to gold dig or famewhore on HER. Her only prayer, it seems, is to nab someone she has known a long time…or someone who is also famous in his own right yet unbesmirched in reputation. Like Liam Neeson. But she can’t have him, because he’s MINE. :O)

There is little a Brit finds so ridiculous a people who anxiously try to climb classes.

That’s part of why many look at Kate with less than respect. Her (upper) middle class anxiety shines through too clearly. Old money does not spend hours in hair salons, but looks unapologetically frumpy after a stroll with the dogs through an estate.

Right on! Those photographs of Pippa dancing with her chest hanging out, with a man that is not Alex, would offend even those with the loosest sensibilities. Imagine being a private, low-key, discret fellow and seeing your “future wife” carrying on that way? It’s really inappropriate. She knows people are watching, she should conduct herself with a sense of decorum. After all, the only men she will consider are 1.) Aristocratic; 2.) Rich; 3.) Snobs. If you want a snob, behave like one.

P.S. I love all the British terms for Uptrading. “Trophy Posh” friends… “Socially ambitious”… “Sloane”… They really love to call people out for uptradey behavior.

Face it, Pippa’s trashy. She loves the limelight and Alex didn’t. End of story. Snobbery; yes.

Kaiser: I about gagged when I read the original Sunday Mail story about the palace’s misgivings about Pippa because she doesn’t have a job. As you said, she’s more employed than Waity ever was. I guess the palace is stuck with Waity now. I really think William will end up regretting the whole thing.

“Contrary to ill-informed folk who have been describing the Duke of Northumberland’s son and heir George Percy, 27, as both the new love of Pippa Milddleton’s life and her new boss, boyishly handsome George is neither.
In fact, Pippa remains close to her boyfriend of the past year, financier Alex Loudon, and in the same week they were said to have split, she was taking him to visit her parents in Bucklebury, Berks.
University pals point out that the part-time job Pippa is supposed to be doing for George’s company Cluff Geothermal — started with mining veteran Algy Cluff — does not exist. ‘They merely share an office,’ says a pal”

I just finished reading the Other Boyelyn Girl by Phillipa Gregory, and wondered if “landing” the right man is anything like it was back in the day of Henry VIII. There’s even a George Percy, Duke of Northumberland in that time period. Talk about old money!

Looks like it’s all the same. Beautiful women and families trying for the “best match”. Kate really must have tweeked off the old money families when she landed the Prince.

@ Addie – nobles and aristocrats don’t care about Pippa being Kate’s sister. They have no desire to subject themselves to the fishbowl that is the royal family. Isabella Calthorpe, a noble woman, told William she would have dated him had he not been a Prince. She has no need of his title and money and is not desperate to be the future Queen of England. No aristocratic/Old Money woman would have him because they don’t want the pressure of being a royal. He was bound to marry someone like Kate who is ambitious enough to do anything to be Princess.

The Middletons are obvious social climbers. Old Money and truly wealthy families don’t need them or their money.

When it comes to being snobs, yes, British nobles can be as such. But they’re nothing compared to other European noble families. Take Belgium, for example. Their nobility is like a very, very exclusive country club that is only open to families who have been established as far back as The Crusades. In fact, many of them descend from the Holy Roman Empire and Charlemagne. They maintain their status by marrying into another prestigious family.

Social climbers like Kate and Pippa will never have been welcomed into Belgian nobility the way British nobles have welcomed them.

@ cranky chica – Those nobles’ bloodlines are more prestigious and bluer than the royals’, and some British noble dynasties are older and more established than the Windsors. They have all the power, money, and connections they need. They have no use for Pippa, Kate, or the Windsors.

I doubt they were angry when Kate landed William. Those nobles seek to keep their privacy at all times. Most of them live quietly and do not care to be subjected to media and public opinion. Marrying someone like Pippa or a Prince like William would bring the media storm that they don’t welcome in the first place.

As for Alex and Pippa, I highly doubt that it was Pippa’s ‘new money’ status.

She humiliated Alex, as well as his family, by going around town with George Percy. They never dated, but when Pippa and George spent time together in Madrid and then went to Wimbledon, it set tongues wagging. The headlines ran stories of Pippa trading Alex for the heir of the Duke of Northumberland, and the media published stories of what Pippa can gain in marrying either Alex or George.

The press also made Alex look like he wasn’t good enough for Pippa, so why should his family tolerate her and think her good enough for their son?

Pippa’s social climbing knows no bounds. She’s shameless. There are stories of her propositioning an aristocrat the moment his girlfriend excused herself to go to the bathroom. Pippa has no problem offering herself up to titled men, and has no problem disrespecting other women by going after their boyfriends.

After her media antics and her desire to court the press too much, I doubt Percy’s family wants anything to do with her.

Those aristocratic men can find another girl who is wealthier than Pippa, comes from good “stock”, has no Uncle Gary who brings scandal to the family name, and has no desire to court the press.

Pippa needs to be careful. She might become good enough to sleep with, but not good enough to marry.

Those in the upper-class circles have long mingled with the RF for years; they have history and connections long before the Middletrash came into the picture. Until a decade ago the RF never knew that a tacky family like the Middletons ever existed.

So what if her sister married the future King? Big f*cking deal for the aristocrats.

I don’t get the great figure buzz — she has short, bandy legs; a flat, long butt; and is pigeon-toed to boot. I know literally dozens of moms with much better figures. Her own mother has a better figure than she does.

Oh and she wasn’t dumped because her “money” wasn’t “old” enough but because her behavior was appalling. And yes that question mark around money was intentional.

To be honest, I think we always project other-world realities onto the famous faces in our papers. Let’s look at the facts: Pippa was seen traveling around Europe with a male “friend.” Then she’s spotted dancing very flirtatiously with her EX. On what planet does this qualify her as a steady girlfriend? Clearly, she’s having the time of her life and isn’t interested in a serious commitment – whether or not she got dumped is irrelevant. I do think there’s also some truth to the old money thing. I think the Middletons are the laughing stock of the aristocracy at the moment. Maybe their fame-whoriness appeals to some, but the old families probably frown on it. The latter are not exhibitionist sell-outs the way these girls seem to be.

@ Miladie, I think your comment is very insightful. The Windsors are just a tool for the aristocracy, not the center of it as they’re represented in media.

As for Pippa, I have nothing for/against her. However, I do feel a little bad for her because she’s starting to cultivate a somewhat promiscuous image. I’m sure that’s not her intention, but the somewhat laissez-faire approach to the Middleton’s public image is only going to get worse. These folks need a publicists asap.

ahh there’s no snob like an English snob! But what people have said on here are right – the genuine aristocracy don’t care that Pippa is Kate’s sister, they are considered more aristocratic than the Royals and yet live in relative privacy

I quite like Pippa but she’s the sort of girl who could easily show you up – and these families REALLY don’t like that shizzle

Especially the last sentence has so much truth, it was exactly my feeling when I saw the picture of her being held up in the air by a guy at a party.
It’s like she’s not serious and therefore not taken seriously as a marriage candidate.

I could very well see her get married to a foreigner in a couple of years and live abroad.

I’m not rooting for any of the Middleton’s. Kate got lucky because a) William’s spineless and b) the papers crucified him when he dumped her after so many years. They hate her but they also hated that he strung her along for so long (when in fact he was dating other girls, the Middleton’s knew how to play the press so it looked like he was Kate’s all along).

Any way I’m laughing my ass off that not even Waity’s new status can get a Middleton into an old money family. That’s not only a testament to how much the upper classes hate the Middletons but how lowly the Royals are that not even the old moneys care to have an in with them.

bluhare – you can’t really compare Diana. Different times and that. Yes her family is more “English” than the current Monarchy. Hell Fergie’s family was more English (both Diana and Fergie descend from Kings by the way), but times changed especially when Diana blew the lid off that family and it’s no longer a requirement to marry a Royal in order to reach the upper echelons of society. Especially when most of the Aritos are so proudly British and pride themselves on how far back their families go.

William and Harry are fine, thanks to Diana, and Bea and Eugene, thanks to Fergie, but it’s just not the same. Being Royal just doesn’t matter as much as it used to.

HoustonGrl – I don’t get why you would or should feel sorry for Pippa. The girl’s an in your face social climber. The press is getting wind of it and oh well. Maybe if she wasn’t so blatant on snatching a title her antics wouldn’t come to light.

But let’s not call a spade a spade just because she’s a woman and should be protected. Maybe she should ease up. As it is she won’t get a wealthy titled man to marry her due to HER own antics (and why should she, blatant social climbing is so crass).

mln76 – I hate to defend rich people, but in their defense (and remember this is their mindset) they are more English and their heritage goes back farther than the Mountbattens, I mean Windsor’s. I would be pissed to if my family Machiavelli-ed their way to the upper classes for centuries, and then some German clan moved in on my territory with no work on their part (other than to have an uncle die).

Addie – Kate’s not set for life. With one signature on a divorce paper her world will come crashing down. She will lose her title, and we all know the Royals skimp on divorce payouts (Fergie had to take $5m in order to keep her title, Diana had to give up her title in order to get $10m). Her place is not secure, and if something were to happen to William before she pops out an heir, Harry takes his place and she’s left to obscurity. She was not born into it therefore she will never really own it. The most she can ascend to is Queen Consort, not Queen and that’s with William so she better hope he lives a long life like his grandfather and grandmother.

That’s how they are. They really do think they are “better” because of being born into a titled family. That’s how they justify taking money from others for doing absolutely nothing. And if they are better because they have a title, then everyone who doesn’t have a title is lesser.

Of course, I’m sure they’ll make exceptions if you offer something they really, really want (like William wanted a doormat). If Pippa were really attractive, it might not matter. But she’s not. She’s average looking, at best. I don’t see what she could offer to overcome the centuries old prejudices.

I agree with Miladie29 and iseepinkelefants, excellent analysis of the situation.

Serenitea you made me laugh XD I don’t know why everyone says she is pretty ? The face, the skin, the figure… None of it is pretty.

“Pippa sees the connection with the Royal Family as a golden opportunity but she knows she cannot afford to look vulgar”

I was really amused by this, because she really thinks she isn’t vulgar XD Oh she does look vulgar. Very much so. I think that’s what I dislike so much with the Middletons. They’re vulgar, no elegance whatsoever to them, however hard Kate tries.

“When they got together, Pippa was a nice girl whose sister was going out with Prince William. That wouldn’t phase him, William was his friend at school. Alex was always the one in control. Now he’s seen as little more than Pippa’s appendage and really, what man could cope with that?”

That quote is so sexist, I couldn’t believe I’d just read that, wow.

“Pippa will do the same. She is utterly determined, whether it is a marathon, a game of tennis or bagging the best titled boy at a party. She is tough and focused. In a week or two she will be sparkling at some high-end event, flashbulbs a go go, because that is what the Middleton girls are expected to do. The Middleton mantra is grin and bear it. There’s no puffy eyes or hiding behind closed doors, at least not for too long.”

@Cheyenne
I think you are missing the point. Pippa by letting, no by encouraging speculations about her and the son of the the duke of Northumberland humiliated him and his family. It was as if Alex was tolerable only if she couldnt get someone better. the overly flirtatious behavior with her ex was the straw that broke the camel’s back.

Marriage = Money.I love reading about these aristocratic Brits. All these centuries and it still hasn’t ever really changed.

In physical comparison, Kate has short legs and a long torso too but she’s taller so it’s less noticeable. I want to buy Pippa a proper bra. Just because they’re smaller and you’re in shape doesn’t mean they don’t go south, dear.

Not to totally derail, but why are people so derisive of Kate Middleton? For the limited amount that it is worth, she seems to love William, and to relish this role – ultimately, I think almost no one else would embrace both things, and the negative elements of the scrutiny seem to at least match the positive ones. I don’t know.

As for Pippa, the tragedy that is her dress sense cannot be overemphasized. ERRYTHIN she wears looks so fucking cheap! How the hell is that? I’m sure she shops up a storm at the best stores, but she looks so…1998 or so, and like everything has a hefty percentage of acrylic. And she has a near-blindness re proportions.

@ladybert: I’d bet a dollar to a donut hole some of those upper-crust Brits act just as trashy as the people they look down on, but as long as it’s them doing it, it’s not trashy. Or so the mindset goes.

“There has been some suggestion that Kate might utilize Pippa in a lady-in-waiting role”

Translation: (1) Kate is lonely, doesn’t have any friends, and nobody in her new family wants to talk to her; plus, (2) Pippa needs to have access to rich and titled men, and hanging around with Kate will help her land the kind of husband she wants.

Like Kate, Pippa looks 50 years old, but she doesn’t have the benefit of Kate’s height or smile. Her shelf life is gonna expire soon – better get her married off quick.

Edited to add another snarky comment: did Pippa not get the memo? Kate, like all the other members of her new family, wore their Remembrance poppies on the left side.

As for marrying “beneath” their class, I think more British blue bloods should do so. So many of them seem sickly and inbred. There should be a law requiring at least a minimum number of marriages to commoners, to infuse some fresh blood. It would do them good.

I really don’t think people get the message the Alex and his family are not really bothered by Pippa and her family not being aristocrats. Or that they don;t have old money, or whatever. I really believe it is her own behavior that humiliated him. It looks like he has had enough. And can we really blame him? She looked very playful while cheating wiht prince Harry at her sisters wedding. Very flirty. Then another serious of pics leaked out where she shows her boobs and flirts with an ex-bf. Who wouldn’t finally call it quits after months of old bfs (george, the guy in the pics, Harry,…). Not the press, not her money, but purely her behavior did it.

as a Brit I don’t get the whole ‘palace worried about Pippas lack of job’. Its not their business. Also most wealthy ‘old’ families really wouldn’t want to be glorified civil servants which is what the Royal Family are. In essence the are paid by the civil list for their ‘duties’ and thats government ie taxpayers money. They also have their private incomes from land and property. Imagine a famous US millionaire celebrity getting government benefits or welfare to the tune of millions plus government paid for accomodation (buckingham palace standard)for turning up at a sports centre, library or hospital and cutting a ribbon. I love the UK and don’t wish them unwell but I would change the way the Royal family is financed including all the properties. BTW in the UK we all have to pay inheritance tax when a relative dies and leave property/money. I don’t argue with that but guess who didn’t pay the £20m (is that $30 today?) when her dear mother died? Our lovely monarch. So good enough to receive our tax but too good to pay it. I find that unfair. And thats why ‘old’ families prefer to keep out because then no-one questions them on their accounting practice I s’pose

He couldn’t deal with the “circus”… the paparazzi camped outside his apartment and stalking her every move; and the bloggers and gossip sites who speculate and make rash statements punctuated by question marks. The “circus” ultimately caused Dianna’s death.

This woman has done nothing out of the ordinary to warrant the attention she receives. The moment she stepped out of the limousine on April 29, it was like a lightening bolt. The dress was simple and elegant. Her expression was and always seems to be sweet and unassuming. She is the anti-Paris/Kim and many people who find reality wannabes and starlets who carry handbags that cost as much or more than most peoples cars revolting find Pippa lovely and refreshing. She manages to appear gracious despite the fact she’s on her way to work and hasn’t yet had her morning coffee.

I really don’t think the reason her boyfriend dumped her was because of money. I really think it was because Pippa seemed to be humiliating him in public by stepping out with Percy on a weekender and at Wimbleton and also with her other Ex that she danced with at the most recent event.

@bluhare – Diana was very much seen to have married down, even if POW is a prince and future King.

@nymeria – most of those families have kept their bloodlines pure by marrying their own. The Windsors might lay claim to William the conqueror, but it’s a zig zagy dilute line compared to some families.

@Miladie29 (#35). Goal! I couldn’t have said it better myself. You nailed the differences between British, European and US notions of fame v true royalty. And how certain circles would view the Middletons. If one wants to get really snippy…the Windsors shouldn’t be on the throne. Somewhere very far back there was a dodgy claim to the throne which held and they’ve continued to rule ever since. King George V changed the surname from their German one to the more British sounding Windsor (Windsor Castle isn’t named after them) to avoid anti-German sentiment during World War 1 (they have a huge German lineage).

PS. Team William IV!! (hope I got his number right). Don’t worry about Wills n Kate. They’ll have a long and happy life, have a few children (an heir and a few spares..Queen Elizabeth III I’m placing an early bet now) and Wills will be a good King. Hope Charles steps aside – we don’t want him as our monarch.